Zarkot and Mirena
by Katherine-Magnolia
Summary: Zarkot and Mirena are twins, one boy and one girl, who both can channel. But why is Zarkot a novice in the White Tower along with his sister and what is Mirena's special Talent? This is more then a touch AU, just warning you.
1. Prologue

((By the way. 'Zarkot and Mirena' is a revisment of 'Zarkot and Jeriana' with several notable differences. First; Jeriana is Mirena now. Second; when I started this story before I had only read the first and second book in WoT. Now I can write it more correctly and beg forgiveness for any ignorant errors made beforehand. Third; the storyline is a bit different and this is set in a bit of an AU so bear with me. People in the original series by RJ will be in here, they may just be aged differently and act differently and such because this is my story after all. Fourth; thanks to all those people who enjoyed 'Zarkot and Jeriana' and I hope you will enjoy this rendition (and eventually finished) version of it. Enjoy!))  
  
DISCLAIMER: Do I own Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time? *thinks about it* No way, I do not own Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan, or any of his characters. Those that come out of my own mind however, and the storyline, do happen to be my own thank you very much.  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
The scream echoed through the night, followed by the high, thin wail of an infant. There was a brief silence before yet another scream sounded and yet another wail came through. "It is twins, Sila," a man said happily as he stroked his wife's hand. "A girl and a boy." He sounded happier about the boy then the girl. Yet he was a farmer and they tended to enjoy having boy children who would help them more with the farmwork then girls ever could.  
  
Sila, night black hair sticking to her head, gave him a smile. Yet there was something hidden in her black eyes, a look of complete satisfaction. Except when she looked over at the woman who held both of her children that is. Then her smile turned to a frown, a very prominent one. "I would like to hold my children," she informed the woman, holding out her arms. "They are mine and I have not even named them yet."  
  
"Oh, of course," the woman said as she handed the wrapped infants to her. The woman's face was smooth without wrinkles and yet she did not appear overly young any more then she did aged. Her hair was a dark brown and her eyes bright green, intense as she look closely at Sila and sighed. "They are beautiful, healthy children both."  
  
"Of course they are," Sila said as she stroked their heads softly and crooned at them. Two sets of eyes, one dark violet the other pale lilac, regarded her and tiny wisps of snow-white hair topped their heads. "This is Zarkot," she said as she looked at the boy. "And this is Mirena."  
  
"It is well you named them so soon," the woman said as she reached forward and picked the newly named Zarkot up. "Because now I can go and he will know his true name given to him from his birth mother forever."  
  
Sila glared daggers at the woman but couldn't move, Mirena was sleeping contently in her arms. "Stop her!" she commanded her husband, Danel. "She is going to take him!"  
  
Danel looked as angry as his wife and lunged for the woman, but found himself stopped by a barrier he could not see. He could not even move. The woman smiled at them both, a little sadly. "Understand this now," she said as she pulled the blanket more tightly around Zarkot's tiny body. "Mirena and Zarkot are both bound to do things no one will expect of them. Zarkot is coming with me, I am raising him at the White Tower. Mirena you will keep for no longer then two years before leaving her to be raised by someone else. This will suit you well, Sila." There was a slight mocking in her voice at the name and Sila stiffened, dark eyes flashing. "These people you leave her with will know that at the age of twelve she is to come to the White Tower."  
  
"Lyrenna!" Sila cried angrily as the woman started out the door. "Lyrenna!" The cry fell on ears that did not hear her as Lyrenna, Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, strode down the dark road; Zarkot sleeping contently in her arms much as Mirena was in her mothers'.  
  
Lyrenna had had a Foretelling, and no one would stand in her way to make that Foretelling come true. Not even the White Tower was as important as this. 


	2. Seven Years Later

CHAPTER ONE- Seven Years Later  
  
A small boy, maybe seven years old, ran through the garden, laughing in a delighted way. He passed smiling faces, many of which he knew and some of which he didn't. Young women in white dresses shook their heads at his antics and older ones with the banded hem simply rolled their eyes. Well, some rolled their eyes but some watched him eagerly. One of them, a kind girl named Nania, had told him that she had wanted children once but since she couldn't have them he was as good as one.  
  
His running came to an abrupt halt when a pair of arms swooped him up from behind. "I found you," a warm voice said as its owner began to tickle him. He laughed helplessly and fell to the ground, curling up and trying to fend off the multitude of hands that had come at him suddenly. When they stopped at last he sat up and wiped the tears from his face, giving each of them his famous smile. "You run fast for a little boy," Nania said as she hugged him before starting away. She was an Accepted and had a class to teach soon. Otherwise she would have played with him longer.  
  
The other girls dispersed too, leaving him alone with the trees and flowers. Just as he was about to go and explore a woman came up on the path and spotted him. She was a very pretty woman, with dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. He referred to her as his mother, even though he knew she wasn't really. They looked too different, and she had told him that he wasn't his mother when he was five. "Lyrenna Sedai," he said as he ran up and hugged her. He used the Sedai sometimes, the other Sisters frowned when he didn't. In private he still called her 'mother' though. She liked that, he could tell. "I was playing with Nania and some of the others."  
  
Lyrenna shook her head and sighed heavily. "You're a little charmer Zarkot," she told him as she ruffled his snow-white hair. "Those girls spend far too much time playing with you. Nania could called to the Mistress because she was late to teach several of her classes this week."  
  
Zarkot's dark violet eyes went wide. "I don't mean to get them in trouble," he protested. "I just ask them if they want to play with me. I don't have anyone else to play with."  
  
"I know, Zarkot," Lyrenna said. "But come with me and I will show you a new friend who you will not get into trouble because you spend so much time with him or her, I'm not sure which."  
  
Excited, Zarkot tried to beg from her why he had never seen this friend before. But she didn't answer. One thing Zarkot had learned after being raised in the White Tower for seven years was that all Aes Sedai, mostly Lyrenna it seemed to him, knew how to keep their mouths closed. "Ah, here we are," Lyrenna said at last as she reached out and touched the trunk of one of the tallest trees Zarkot had ever seen. It was an odd tree, the dark trunk run through with gold and the leaves a bright, metallic silver. "This is Geson," she told Zarkot softly, taking one of his hands and placing it on the bark. "He has been my friend for many years, we understand each other, him and I."  
  
Wide-eyed Zarkot ran his hand along the bark. It seemed different from other trees in the Gardens, more alive. It was almost as though he could hear the tree speaking to him. "Him?" he asked Lyrenna. "You speak as though Geson talks back to you."  
  
"Oh he does," Lyrenna said with a wide smile. "Geson has spoken with me since I was but a Novice in white. He taught me what I am."  
  
"You speak with trees?" Zarkot asked, amazed. He knew Aes Sedai could do marvelous things, but he had never dreams speaking with trees was one of them. Maybe he could learn, even though he could never be an Aes Sedai. He loved trees more then anything, speaking with them would be more wonderful then anything else he could imagine. Even flying. "Can you teach me?"  
  
"This cannot be taught," she told him gently. "It is something one is either born with or without. A very rare Talent that some do not even know exist. Others say it is useless, but I say it is not. The only one who will be able to tell whether or not you can learn is you, Zarkot. Geson can help of course, if he feels a kinship with you he will tell me."  
  
:Please feel a kinship with me,: Zarkot begged the tree silently as he pressed both hands hard aganist the bark. :Please Light I won't ask for another thing ever again.: A boy's dreams could be marvelous things, though Zarkot's were rather simple from the outside.  
  
"Zarkot," Lyrenna said as she pulled him away from the tree, from Geson. "I have a gift for you, though you cannot take it with you anywhere. It will remain here, but you may come and visit of course." She turned Zarkot towards a second tree in the grove, this one more wonderous to his eyes then Geson. It was the same size, although the bark was shot through with silver and the leaves looked like purest gold. Zarkot gave a delighted smile at Lyrenna and reached out to touch the tree. The moment his hands touched that silver-shot bark a thrill ran through his body and he heard a single word... Galad.  
  
"Galad!" he told Lyrenna with a laugh. "This is Galad!" Her smile was small, but satisfied as she watched him scamper up the tree, happier then she had ever seen him before.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
The small girl glared up definatley at the much taller boy, her pale lilac eyes flashing. She was seven, he was nine or maybe even ten. "Back off of him," she told him in a low voice, standing between the bigger boy and his intended prey. A boy roughly the same age as the girl was lying on the ground behind her, curled up and whimpering. "Pick on somebody your own size you blasted Coplin!"  
  
"You're too big for your breeches Mirena," the boy growled as he moved forward. "You shouldn't even be wearing breeches, what kind of girl are you? And with those light eyes and that hair you don't fit in here any better then the merchants."  
  
Mirena balled up one of her small fists and hit the boy in his lower stomach. He let out a grunt and bent over, clutching himself as she kicked him in the face. Then she turned and hauled the whimpering boy to his feet. "Come on Jian!" she yelled as he tried to fight her off. "While he's not coming after us!" The boy looked fearfully at Simel Coplin, groaning on the ground with blood pouring from his face, before running with Mirena.  
  
The two didn't stop until they reached Jian's home. Once inside they slumped to the ground; Jian trying to wipe the blood and dirt off of his face while Mirena tried to rid herself of the grin. Jian's mother liked her, but his father didn't approve much of how she dressed or acted. More like a boy then a girl he would often be heard grumbling. Runnig her fingers through her shoulder-length white-blond hair she tried to make it look neat, but failed.  
  
"I heard you come in Jian," his mother said, walking out of the kitchen. Mirena's mouth watered as the smell of freshly baked honeycakes drifted out to her. "Oh hello Mirena," Mistress al'San said with a kindly smile. "I just made some fresh honeycakes, come on you two, have one."  
  
Just as Mirena and Jian settled down and began to eat there was a knock at the door. Mirena peered out the window and gulped, it was the Wisdom. "Why hello Sarah," Mistress al'San said pleasantly as she held the door open wider and let the Wisdom come in. Across the table Jian's face had gone as white as Mierna was sure her own had. Sarah Aybara was a kind woman, unless you got into a fight. Mirena had had plenty enough experience with her in that area to know how bad of an idea it was to get yourself into trouble with her. She was thinking about going out a window when the Wisdom walked into the kitchen, her famous no-nonsense look painted on her face.  
  
"Why Mirena," Sarah said as she walked over and stood there, arms folded beneath her breasts. "What a surprise to find you here this afternoon. I thought you would have run straight home to hide." Her dark eyes were slightly amused, but Mirena winced at the dissapointment there.  
  
"Simel started it all!" Jian piped up suddenly. "He just came up and started a fight with me. He would have thrashed me good if Mirena hadn't stepped in and showed him what for."  
  
"Oh Jian," Mistress al'San groaned. "What have I told you about fighting? He's a Coplin, you should know to ignore his mouth."  
  
"Mirena did indeed show him what for," Sarah said and despite how much trouble Mirena was in she knew that the Wisdom was impressed that she had beaten the larger and older Simel. "She kicked out one of his teeth and broke his nose. He claims you started it. Of course, he still got thrashed for it by me and by his da when he found out. 'No self-respecting man hits a woman!' was what I believe his da was shouting at him. Of course, Simel argues that you don't even act like a girl so it shouldn't count."  
  
"He was going to thrash Jian for no good reason," Mirena said, holding her chin up stubbornly and meeting Sarah's dark eyes. "I had to stop him. I'm not even sorry for what I did."  
  
"Will you not apologize?" the Wisdom asked.  
  
"I will not, there is nothing to apologize for." For a seven-year-old Mirena was extremely stubborn and set in her own ways. Once she decided something was right, it stayed that way for as long as she thought it should. Not a moment longer or shorter.  
  
Sarah sighed and shook her head, unsuccessfully hiding her smile. "Come with me then Mirena," she said. "You know that I cannot let you go around beating up every boy in Deven Ride. Even if you fight better then them all."  
  
"Thank you for the honeycakes, Mistress al'San," Mirena said as she stood up and started after Sarah. "I know I cannot do that, Wisdom. But, if they start it would should I do but finish it?" Mistress al'San and Jian both heard the Wisdom's chuckle drift back to them even as her tone went stern.  
  
((So what do you all think of this chapter one? Better? Worse? Better I think because it went to seven years rather then all ten and gives more background about what the two were like. Develops their characters better I'm thinking.)) 


	3. Mirena Leaves Deven Ride

Mirena looked up as she heard the wind rustling the leaves above her head. Jian was up there somewhere, trying to prove that he could indeed climb higher then she. She had decided to let him have the first try, so she didn't outdistance him by too much. If he was lucky then he would have made it up about five spans before he began to tremble and climbed down, claiming that his arms were sore from helping plow or something like that.  
  
She had given up trying to soothe over his pride by saying that not everyone could climb. He was just one that couldn't while she was one who could, better then anyone else in the Two Rivers too. That included the boys and they all knew it, it made them madder then anything but they still knew it. "All right then, Mirena," Jian said as he dropped down to land beside her. He had bits of twig and leaf stuck in his matted brown hair. Everyone had brown hair here, and those dark eyes. "I marked where I stopped, see if you can beat me."  
  
Rolling her pale lilac eyes Mirena jumped up to grab the lowest hanging branch and swung herself up over it, scampering up the different branches like a squirrel. She loved climbing, loved the thrill of being higher then she could be normally. And the higher she got, the more she could see and hear. Being at the top of a tree when the wind was roaring was better then anything else. Although no one would let her climb a tree when it was storming, and she thought that to be high in the middle of a storm would be grand.  
  
She passed by Jian's mark a while later, shaking her head. It was still lower then her first mark half a year ago when they had started these contests. He was determined to beat her someday. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered something Audine al'Nien had said a couple of days prior. "You should start wearing dresses now, Mirena al'Tien," she said in that uppity way she had whenever she spoke with her. "It's unnatural to go around in breeches like the boys. You are fifteen after all."  
  
Mirena had been stuck inside her house for two days after that, for hitting Audine. She had deserved it, talking like that and sneering at her like she was better just for wearing dresses and fluttering her eyelashes at all of the boys. "What does she know anyhow," Mirena grumbled as she passed the mark she had made last time, two weeks ago. No matter what she always made herself go higher then she had the time before. "I wonder what will happen when I reach the top?" she asked herself as she stopped on a branch and gouged out a line in the soft trunk.  
  
"Mirena!" Jian called up. She leaned out a ways and peered down, unable to see him through the thick branches. "Mirena your mother is coming up."  
  
"Ashes," Mirena cursed as she started back down, quicker then she had come up. The only reason mother ever came to get her was if she was in trouble. Maybe she had found out that it had been Mirena who had chased Master al'Nien's sheep into the Waterwood. He was as bad as his daughter, shaking his head at her and mumbling under his breath when he thought she couldn't hear. About her eyes and hair, mostly about the way she acted though.  
  
By the time she let herself drop to the ground, her mother was already there. Her long, dark brown hair was twisted up in its braid, all women wore their hair in a braid, and her light brown eyes were anxious. "Yes mother?" Mirena asked as she brushed out her golden hair. It had managed to get itself tangled on her quick trip down.  
  
"Run along now Davin," Lia al'Tien said with a wave of her hand. Davin gave a short bow before turning and bolting. He was probably thinking that Mirena was about to get herself a lecture and he didn't want to be on the wrong side of it. "Mirena, there is someone here to see you."  
  
"From Emond's Field?" Mirena asked eagerly. The Wisdom there had promised to send her a book of herbs from outside of the Two Rivers on her last visit. Lia shook her head. "Watch Hill then?" The Wisdom there was sending her a basket of herbal remedies she had made up. Every Wisdom in the Two Rivers was proud of Mirena and her skill with healing. "From where then? Not Taren Ferry, she hadn't ever been up there. Taren Ferry folk were odd anyhow.  
  
"She's an outlander," Lia replied, twisting her hands. "She knows you quite well, Mirena. She was there with your mother when you were born."  
  
Mirena blinked, biting her lip before she said anything she might well regret. She knew that Lia wasn't her mother, that Jamar al'Tien wasn't her father. She didn't have to say it though, and she most definitely did not have to like it. They never told her anything about her true parents either, claiming they knew as much as she did. All Mirena knew of them was an ache that had always been there, as though she were missing a part of herself. "What does she want?" Mirena asked, throwing a lock of her gold hair over one shoulder and crossing her arms.  
  
"She will not tell me," Lia answered. "Just come along with me Mirena and for once in your life don't be stubborn as a mule." Her eyes were pleading and Mirena finally nodded, uncrossing her arms and starting towards her home beside her mother.  
  
Lyrenna sipped at the tea Lia had given her before running off to find Mirena. From all she had gathered of Deven Ride's inhabitants Mirena was an unusual young girl and not just for her pale hair and pale eyes. She wore breeches and tunics, preferring to play with the boys then the girls. "I should have suspected it of her," the Brown Sister muttered into her cup. "High-spirited like her brother. More headstrong from all I've heard as well." At least Zarkot was a quiet boy part of the time, despite his high spirits.  
  
The door opened and Lyrenna heard two people walking closer, one with a lighter step then the other. "Lyrenna Sedai?" Lia asked as she stepped into the room, making a curtsy even lower then the ones novices gave. "I brought you Mirena, you did wish to see her."  
  
Lyrenna was silent for a moment, simply looking at the girl she had come all the way from Tar Valon to retrieve. More then that, she had waited until the time was right to get her since the girl had been born. The only thing that made her resemble her twin brother though, was her eyes. They were a pale lilac, lighter then Zarkot's dark violet, but the same shape and there was a similar light in them. Her hair was long, a beautiful golden color. "So you are Mirena," she said at last, rising.  
  
When Lia had named the Brown Sister though, Mirena had curtsied as low as her mother, an odd feat for a girl in breeches. "Oh do stand up now," Lyrenna said as she rose and set her teacup down on the small table. "Mirena, I held you when you were but a babe and you will do enough bowing at the White Tower to make you wish you had never come."  
  
From the way the girl gaped at her she was confused and startled. "The White Tower?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Where Aes Sedai go?"  
  
Lyrenna nodded. "Where you will be going. I was correct in coming back here now, I can feel the spark in you. You're going to come with me to the White Tower, Mirena. We are leaving first thing in the morning."  
  
The girls startlement vanished and more then a hint of anger flashed in her lilac eyes. "You may be Aes Sedai but you're mad as well!" she snapped, ignoring her mother's startled cry. Lia had gone pale as a sheet, but Lyrenna simpled folded her arms and looked at Mirena coolly. Maybe this girl was a little too high-spirited. If she acted like this in the White Tower then the Mistress would see her more then she saw everyone else. "You cannot simply walk in here and expect me to leave with you simply because you say I have the spark or whatever the Light you called it!" _This girl is going to have some problems, though it should be rather interesting to see her speak with the Amyrlin._  
  
"You can channel, Mirena," Lyrenna said in a frosted-over voice. This girl seemed like the sort who would react better to cold then hot. "And no matter what you say, you are going with me in the morning if I have to tie you up and toss you across my saddle. I will be by an hour after sunrise for her, Lia. Good day." With that she strode out of the door, past the now-gaping Mirena and still-pale Lia.  
  
The next morning Lyrenna rode out of Deven Ride on her calm mare. Mirena was sitting in the saddle of a young bay gelding, her hands tied quite firmly to the saddle.  
  
((I say it's better now by more then a fair shot.)) 


End file.
